8 Kitchen Tricks That Will Improve The Way You Cook

Some people are just good in the kitchen but most of us cook because we have to otherwise we’ll end up having junk food everyday. Eating healthy is everyone’s dream, a reachable dream if we can just put in a little effort.

Most people have their own tips that help them in the kitchen while some of us spend hours on simple things that would usually take a few minutes. We have put together some of our favourite kitchen tips and tricks that will make certain annoying tasks a little less “complicated” and to allow you to spend less time in the kitchen.

1. Keep herbs for longer periods

kitchen herbs

Don’t you hate it when you absolutely need some herbs for a recipe but when you check the fridge, they have already gone bad?
We use them everyday and in almost every meal but the thing is, there’s always some left that we keep in the vegetable drawer in the fridge. Next time we check, they just go off or are all dried up.

Solution: Freeze or keep them in an airtight container along with a sheet of tissue paper to absorb any moisture.

Freezing is the best solution to keep herbs for longer periods and in an airtight container without moisture, herbs can last a few weeks. Usually they will start to go off in a few days if stored directly in the vegetable drawer in the fridge. Some herbs like rosemary and thyme can be frozen whole. When you need to use them, just directly add it to your dish and let cook.

2. Sugar has clumps in the container

sugar clumps

We really hate when this happens. And it happens often with brown sugar, especially if you live in a high humidity area. It is the moisture that gets the granules to stick together into clumps.

Solution: Add a slice of bread.

Place a piece of white bread in the container and let it absorb the moisture. The sugar will break back down into granules after a few hours. It will be difficult to avoid this from happening if there’s always high humidity in your area. The thing is, if you want the sugar clumps to stop, your storage space needs to be dry. You can also try using dehumidifiers in your kitchen cabinets.

3. Not enough juice in lemons

dried lemon

Aren’t you disappointed when you squeeze a lemon for a quick drink and there’s almost no juice coming out of it? We know the feeling.

Solution: Microwave it for 20-30 seconds on high.

The time is just enough to release the juices. Make sure to not let it microwave for more time, as it will dry the flesh out and you will be left with nothing.

4. Boiled eggs are difficult to peel

boiled eggs

Though we would love to have boiled eggs almost everyday, we know that some of you avoid boiling your eggs as it can be a chore… The time to wait for the eggs to boil, then spending time cracking the hard shells and peeling them- with some not coming off or breaking into small pieces. We know it can be a pain.

Solution: Add vinegar.

You probably already add vinegar to your poached eggs to coagulate the white. Did you know that you can add a dash of vinegar to the water when boiling eggs to make the shell peel off more easily? Try it next time and you can say goodbye to the piles of tiny egg shell shards and enjoy your hard boiled eggs as often as you like.

5. Avocado turning brown

fresh avocado

We all feel sad when we eat half of an avocado, keep the other half for the next day, only to find that it turned brown.

Solution: Store with the stone.

If you are only going to use half of the avocado, cut it in half then twist it. You will have two halves, one with the stone and the other without. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh from the half without the stone. Don’t throw away the empty skin, use it instead to cover the other half with the stone. Keeping the stone in and still covered with the skin will keep the avocado fresh till the next day.

6. Brown rice takes hours to cook

brown rice

If you have also switched to a healthier rice, we know that brown rice takes way more time to cook compared to white rice.

Solution: Let it soak overnight

It is recommended to soak brown rice for at least 2 hours before it is cooked. We noticed that the cooking time is still too long even if soaked for 2 complete hours. Letting it soak in water overnight will make it cook far quicker.

7. Garlic cloves are hard to peel

garlic crusher

Well, not really that hard but can be tricky, frustrating and time consuming if you need to peel more than 1 or 2 cloves.

Solution: Get a garlic press

This might sound silly but a good garlic press might be your best kitchen investment. It is our most used kitchen “gadget” since we discovered this almost magical tool. The whole clove can be passed through without peeling. It will take a bit of pushing at first but you will learn to love this tool. Once the clove is passed through, the flesh will pass through the holes while the skin is left in the press.

8. A whole bag of salad is going bad

salad greens

It happens sometimes that we forget about those green leaves we bought a few days ago. Unfortunately when we check again, they have already lost their crispiness.

Solution: Cook them.

Salad leaves don’t last for very long, even in the fridge. If your salad leaves are about to go bad or have lost too much of their crispness to be eaten raw, make sure you don’t just let them go to waste- cook them. 2-3 minutes in the pan along with a little oil, garlic, & seasoning, and they will be good to eat.

These are only a few tips we can think of right now. We know there are a lot more that we will share later. Do share your kitchen tips and tricks with us.